Earworm
by DominoMags
Summary: Shinsou Hitoshi goes to a local show to see one of his favorite bands open up for another band. He was expecting to unwind and get his mind off of not being in the hero program. He wasn't expecting to strike up a friendship with someone enrolled itn it, especially not so quickly.


Hitoshi Shinsou was really not much to talk about. He had a powerful quirk. True. One that many would associate with villains. Also, true. He was cursed with this quirk and had hit several road blocks on his way to becoming a hero. His heart couldn't help what it wanted. Ever since he had seen that news report of Eraserhead as a kid, or hung out with friends as a kid, before people started to say things around the time his quirk manifested. He wasn't exactly lacking in friends. He felt he had enough. He just grew more discerning when it came to people. Cats, on the other hand, he was far laxer with. He was wearing a hoodie of the hero Mumen Rider. The guy was underrated in Shnsou's eyes and he would rep the man when he could.

He thought back to his fight in the Sports Festival earlier in his first year. He had made it to the third stage for the first years. He had to manipulate others using his quirk. It certainly wasn't heroic, but he had to use it, whether he liked it or not. He would fight tooth and nail for his dream, even if he had to lean into what others said about his quirk growing up, just a little bit.

He lost, just when he thought he had it in the bag, but he had vowed to replace one of the hero students if they screwed up. He would have his chance. He made a promise. That Midoriya kid was blessed, but he seemed to have a good heart. It didn't mean Hitoshi would show him any mercy though. At least not regarding his goals of entering the hero program.

Around the time of Provisionals, he hadn't really cooled off that much. He had talked to the 1a teacher, the man he had idolized since childhood while others were looking up to All Might or Endeavor.

The indigo haired boy needed to cool off. He would get his chance. Until then, he would relax a little, but he reminded himself, even the nicest of the hero students were competition. No hard feelings to them. It was just what he had to do.

The boy moved over to the merch table, figuring he would pick up an LP and maybe a shirt from one of the opening acts. They weren't half bad, he thought. Plus, as shallow as this was, they had a cat in their logo. He had to kick himself for having the power to brainwash others and wanting to be a hero. He had to kick himself harder for being able to brainwash people and yet being so easily swayed by cats.

"Dammit. The toe beans always get me. What a pain…" He muttered to himself as he took out his wallet and grabbed the item. He ended up bumping into someone else at the merch table with his shoulder. He wanted to be slightly annoyed, but he knew how shitty that was. Shows like this tended to get a bit cramped, and there would be people looking to buy stuff and support the artists. It wasn't the other person's fault.

"Sorry bout that." the boy sighed, continuing to browse the table. He found a shirt in his size and the LP he was looking for. Before he could pay, his attention was grabbed by the person he jarred with his shoulder.

"Oh. Oh, shit it's you?" a somewhat throaty female voice stated in surprise. Hitoshi turned to see one of the 1a students. It was the one with purple hair and earlobes that looked like headphone jacks. He never got her name. He just kind of mentally called them "Calendar", be cause their days were numbered. He supposed that seemed a lot like something the blonde loud mouth would say.

"You in there, man? Or did you use your quirk on yourself?" she snarked. She seemed somewhat apologetic for her rude behavior, deciding to try again.

"It's my bad. I was just organizing the table for the band since I'm in charge right now."

"Not really taking the hero thing seriously if you're here, huh?"

Jirou scoffed at his rudeness. "Fuck you, man. We all need a break sometimes. Besides, it's a favor."

"A favor to go to a punk show? Sounds helpful." Sarcasm came way too easily, especially when he was just trying to relax. She really hadn't done anything and picking a fight with her was rather pointless. He feared he was coming across as that blonde asshole with the anger management issues, or the other blonde asshole with the bowl cut and that damn, smug personality. Besides, while there were a variety of heroes, he would rather not be that guy. Shinsou was ready to snark back at this upstart hero student, but then he paused. Not today.

The girl sighed. "The bassist caught mono, so I had to cover for him. We went to middle school together. Not sure why I'm telling you this."

"You're playing bass for Bakeneko?"

"I mean, just for tonight. I still have classes at UA. I'm not great at this anyway. It's just a stupid hobby. They needed someone. This gig, opening for Bendu, is important to them. So, I did them a solid."

He supposed he should still feel a grudge. She was blessed. Not only was she a hero student in the "prestigious" 1a, but she was a musician. The culture festival performances had kicked off with her class and she was lead singer and bassist. From what he had heard and seen, she wasn't half bad. Heck, if it had been a different genre, he would have probably found himself cheering a little.

"Well then. Hoping you can wow me, Jack."

Kyouka looked at him with confusion and bemusement. She knew that involved her quirk and was part of her hero name, but it wasn't something she was expecting or particularly thrilled with.

"My name's Jirou, Blue Velvet. Now are you going to buy shit or are you going to continue to give me it."

The purple eyed boy smirked. He could have used his quirk, but he refused. This wasn't a sports festival and he wasn't licensed to do so. He wasn't a villain. He aimed to be a hero. Doing whatever he felt like wasn't what heroes did. At least, that wasn't what they were supposed to. Besides, there was something about this girl he could respect. She might not have bested him in combat, but she seemed like she could batch him snark for snark.

"Firstly, you're one to talk, not using my real name either. Second…was that a David Lynch reference?" Shinsou could feel his guard dropping. His hair was more indigo than anything, but he was almost impressed by her quip. This girl was clever.

Jirou looked at the potential customer, really not in the mood for a fight. She knew he had been a jerk when t came to her class, holding some kind of grudge, though less over the top than that guy in 1b. Her shift at the merch table would be up soon as the band was about to play soon, and she had to get ready. If he really wanted something, he could come back after their set.

She shrugged. "Saw you hanging around with Aizawa-sensei a few times, like you're his sidekick, so I thought I would make the connection."

Shinsou smiled genuinely. He was really impressed by this girl. He might not pull any punches in getting into the hero program and living his dream, but he would at least lay off her. If he ended up getting in, well…He might not have been there to make friends, but he had to admit to himself, it would be nice to have some there.

"Quite a sharp tongue you got, "Jirou." I'll have to see how good your licks are." He grinned. Jirou wasn't sure if he was flirting or not. He seemed like the type that was in a committed relationship with sleep deprivation, judging by his eyebags. Regardless, she thought she would set the record straight, as to her being quite the opposite.

"If you're trying to deliver a pick-up line, no thanks. Not in for that. You're not my type anyway." She responded with the patented Jirou RBF (Resting Bitch face) she had inherited from her dad. She couldn't help but smile a little. She was having a little fun.

"Anyway, I'm closing up the table until after the performance. "

Her erstwhile customer was taken aback by her implications. "I…I wasn't…Give me a Large of the purple logo shirt and the Armewgeddon EP." He sighed. He was flustered by the insinuation. He wasn't trying to flirt. He really didn't do that much. "Please?"

Jirou shook her head and laughed a little. His reaction was amusing at least. Plus, she got a small percentage of what she earned tonight, so a little pocket money wasn't bad.

"Coming right up, Velvet."

"You're a pain in the ass."

"Says the asshole who looks like the Screamers logo." The punk girl fired back. "Anyway, I'm up. Here's your crap. Enjoy the show." And with that, she gave him his purchases and ran off towards stage to get prepared.

"Thanks. Hope you impress me. This is my favorite band after all."

Jirou stopped for a second, as if to think. He wasn't sure if he had pissed her off, made her nervous, or amused her. He could see her shake a little though. He exhaled. As she finally disappeared, he dragged his hands down his face.

"Might have to apologize. Damn."

X

Shinsou had purchased a bottle of water and took a sip before putting the cap back on. The lights dimmed as sound check finished. He was happy to get out for a while and, while he certainly was excited to see the main band performing tonight, this one was his favorite. They weren't as big as Bendu or Deep Dope, but he had listened to them since they first started. He had checked them out on a whim and found possibly his favorite band in some little hole in the wall back in Nabu, where he attended Middle school.

He watched the performance with rapt attention, feeling more energetic than he tended to let on. Besides, he was curious to hear Bakeneko with a replacement bassist. He would have to hear this hero student play.

Their first song of their set had been a favorite, the one he played on the day he found out he was getting into UA but not in the hero program. It was the title track off their second LP, "All Places are Alike". It helped him through bittersweet train rides and he felt like he was witness to a murder right now, because the girl from the merch table was killing it with her bass work.

"Just a hobby my ass." He thought as a wider grin crept across his face. This girl was alright. He hated admitting it, but he might just have to have her sign the cd he bought.

He joined in with the rest of the crowd, bobbing his head to slower heavier songs and dancing to the faster paced ones.

The band had sampled a lot of their work, which admittedly only spanned three full albums so far. They were still a small band and hadn't hit the big time, but they were still important to Shinsou.

He had to laugh at their bravado for ending on a cover song for an encore. It was like they were the main attraction. They were for him at least, in a way. For this song, they thanked their guest bassist, Kyouka, and even let her do double duty on vocals, with some coaxing.

Deep Dope wasn't exactly in Shinsou's top five. They were alright, but he preferred other bands far better. Something about their sound didn't entirely appeal to the boy. Hearing their hit song "Gasping at Straws" performed by his schoolmate with husky vocals and a heavy bass hit him like a heavyweight boxer. He cursed himself for feeling this way, but he wouldn't mind her collaborating with them. The girl was a damn solid musician.

X

Kyouka was thirsty, like she had just run a marathon in the Sahara. Still, despite some lingering stage fright, she had become more accustomed to being on stage and was even starting to feel at home. She decided to go check on the merch table again. She assumed there would be some fans there wanting more stuff. Deep down, she was prepared for the worst, telling her she sucked and that the old bassist was better. But that didn't matter. She helped someone in need and made people cheer. That was a part of being a hero, right? A few friends had commended her on that and she had to smile a little at the thought of them.

Her blood ran a bit colder when she saw Shinsou. She wasn't entirely sure what to make of him yet. He had a decent sense of humor but could be hard to read. She sighed and walked over, prepared for some sly comment from the taller boy. What she got instead was a surprise.

"Hey…Jirou, right?"

"No. It's jack." The girl deadpanned. "What's up?"

The brainwash boy chuckled sheepishly.

"Yeah. I may have deserved that… look… Can I ask you something?"

"For the last time dude, you're."

"Not your type. I know. Relax. I know. I actually." He took out the cd from his bag that he had shoved in his hoodie pocket. "I … want to apologize…Was kind of a dick. Also… I know you're just a fill-in bassist, but damn. You're good. I kinda need your autograph."

Kyouka stared at the boy like a dog who had just been shown a card trick. She was not used to getting asked for autographs. After the sports festival? People noticed, sure, but she never made it to the fighting round, so she wasn't anywhere near as popular as some of her classmates. Enough people enjoyed 1A's performance at the culture festival, but that wasn't open to the public and none of the people who watched asked for something like this. That was her first real live performance and she did a few open mic nights after that, but it was kind of a mix of exhilaration and embarrassment. Still, she supposed if she ever made it big as a hero (she had her doubts she would break the B list if she was lucky), this would be part of the job.

"Sure, dude…Shinsou, right?"

"Nah. Blue Velvet." He smirked. "You know…you're alright."

As Jirou finished signing the album, she handed it back to her new fan. "No problem."

"So, you headed out or are you sticking around to see Bendu? He rubbed the back of his head. Once again, he had friends, but making them could still be a task for him. He was a bit awkward underneath the cool, calculating veneer he put up. It was a bit of an illogical ruse, a wall he put up around his own insecurities. Somehow, he sensed somewhat of a kindred spirit in the young bassist in front of him.

She rolled her eyes. "Nope. I am totally bailing on the more popular band we opened for. I have a date with the girlfriend I don't have."

"That's rough. Was hoping to watch them perform with a friend."

Jirou raised an eyebrow but couldn't help but feel confused and a bit touched. This guy didn't feel like the touchy-feely "friendship is great" kind of person, but he did seem like it took a lot to impress him and she seemed to have done that.

"You have those?"

"Hah. Funny." He said with an unamused facade, easily broken by a pursing of his lips. "What do you say? Want to be one?"

She shrugged. She was a bit cautious about this, but why not. She could hear his heartbeat a little from this distance, ever so faintly. He seemed genuine in his words. She supposed she would regret this later, but she was friends with an explosive asshole (friend being loosely defined here) and a high-voltage dunce. She supposed she could do worse.

"Eh. Why not?"

"Cool…You're buying food though."

She huffed and jabbed a jack in his direction.

"Fuck you. Buy your own."

"Eh. Pass. Not your type, remember?" He offered a sly grin, being pet with a hard punch in the arm. It really hurt, but the two teens couldn't help but relax. They had the same feeling, unbeknownst to one another, that this would be one heck of a friendship.


End file.
